


luminescence

by valiancex



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: AU, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Post PP3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24194062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valiancex/pseuds/valiancex
Summary: while living in LA, and chloe takes beca on a surprise trip to the beach to see a rare phenomenon, the red tide. beca doesn't know what chloe's got planned, but goes along with it anyways.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	luminescence

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing anything non academic, so please be nice, quarantine has got me mega bored and i just wanted to put something happy out there

_Marvelous display of bioluminescence at local Southern California beaches for the second week in a row…_ Chloe overheard the newscaster report from the small television screen in the living room as she stirred another teaspoon of sugar into her already-saccharine-sweet coffee concoction. _Bioluminescence?_ she asked herself, the term barely ringing a bell from her time in those countless rigorous biology classes she took to get into an elite veterinary program.

Sidestepping into the comfortable living room, her attention was quickly grabbed by an awesome clip of glowing blue water following a surfer as he cut across the wave. _This beautiful red tide is only expected to last another week!_ With the next picture of the sea lit up, an idea sparked in the redhead's mind, and she started forming a plan. Always the spontaneous one, she was.

Already out of the door by 7 AM, Beca had been incredibly busy at the production studio recently, putting in long, grueling hours to finish her first album for a well-known artist--and her perfectionist tendencies didn’t help her stress. Chloe adored her girlfriend's dedication to her artistry, like the way she would ask for her input on songs even when she was not supposed to be revealing the label’s work ahead of its release, but still felt a nagging sense of worry when she came home nearly every night looking so ragged. 

The redhead had a stable career at a local LA veterinary practice and was quickly rising in reputation amongst her peers; the job was not by any means easy either, especially when the naturally empathetic girl had to see such adorable animals and their owners in so much pain. The couple knew how to take care of each other, pushing and pulling in sync like the tide, putting extra effort in when the other was struggling and vice versa. So that's why Chloe knew that tonight, tonight would be the night she surprised her girl.

Throughout the day, Chloe gathered all the supplies necessary for her master plan, finding their largest picnic blanket shoved in a still-packed moving box in the closet and grabbing an extra-cozy blanket from the sofa: the coast gets cold! After debating on red or white wine, Chloe settled on a sweet pinot grigio from their acquired collection and set it in a bag along with some plastic wine cups.

Pulling up Google Maps, she figured it would take a couple hours on the safe side with the treacherous LA traffic to get to the beach she had read some of the best reviews from. Figuring that they would be out there late, Chloe decided it would be better to be prepared (a trait Aubrey rubbed off on her), and called up a fancy hotel just up the street from the beach, reserving a room for the night even if it left a slight dent in her pocket. Besides, Saturday was Beca's day off, and a little getaway was in order, so they might as well go all out. The redhead collected enough clothes and supplies for the both of them and threw them in an overnight duffel bag, shoving all those goodies into the trunk of her car.

According to the information she had gathered, Chloe knew that the best time to view the spectacular sight was in the few hours after sundown on a sunny day, and with the bright light that streamed through the window all afternoon, she was confident the red tide would put on an amazing show tonight. She read about how the glowing effect was caused by the disturbance of phytoplankton that came with the red tide, and the red was caused by the massive amounts of algae in the water. When agitated, the microscopic plankton emitted light in a blue-green hue as a defense mechanism, trying to alert intruders whose territory they were treading on. 

Around half past five, as Chloe fixed up some spaghetti on the stove, Beca flung the front door of their apartment open, marching into the cramped space and tossing her purse onto the nearest empty floor space. Her tight ponytail from the beginning of the day saw signs of fraying as flyaways let loose everywhere and her eyes yawned before her mouth opened wide, following the motion. "Hey babe, smells good," the brunette muttered just loud enough that her girlfriend could hear her across the small apartment space.

Chloe told her girlfriend that dinner would be ready in ten minutes and instructed her to change into comfortable clothes and come back precisely in that amount of time. Beca mused that Chloe was being bold, but followed along anyways, too tired to question the suppressed tone of excitement she could hear creeping up in Chloe's voice. But she knew _something_ must be going on. After taking off her makeup, throwing on her softest pair of sweats, and donning an old Barden sweatshirt, she plodded back into the main room of the apartment, anticipating the feeling of delicious food finally satiating her hunger.

What she was not anticipating, however, was to be met with dimmed lights and tiny tea candles decorating their plain wooden dinner table. Listening harder, she could hear quiet piano music emanating from the Alexa on the counter. "What's all this about?" she inquired softly, feeling the stress fizzle out of her as she watched Chloe, her Chloe, smiling back at her at the table. 

"It's a surprise," Chloe responded with a mischievous smirk. "Tonight's your treat." Upon seeing Beca's eyes roaming over her, she quipped, "Gross, get your head out of the gutter." The brunette shook her now-released hair and grinned. Light, casual conversation ensued as they ate the pasta and discussed anything and everything that came to mind. Once they were all cleaned up, Chloe glanced at the time on the microwave: 7:12. It's go time. "Get in the car, we're going somewhere special tonight," she directed, again trying to take on an authoritative tone, but bubbling enthusiasm seeped in with it. Beca opened her mouth to protest, ready to curl up in bed with her favorite fiery-haired girl, but decided against it and followed Chloe into the garage, taking the passenger seat.

After twenty minutes on the bustling I-5 freeway, Beca, who was trying her best not to question the situation but felt a little antsy, yelled over the blasting music, "Dude, seriously, where are we going?"

"Don't worry about it, it's a surprise," Chloe yelled back, drawing out the “i” in surprise for additional emphasis. "But we do have a some ways to go, so feel free to doze off. I'll wake you," she added. The music producer huffed in her seat and pressed her body against the door in attempt to get comfortable, and Chloe switched the music to a softer indie playlist from the pop hits so she could rest.

As they were approaching the freeway exit, the redhead nudged Beca awake. With the amount of groaning Beca had done, she must have been in a pretty deep slumber. "Where are we?" she croaked out, but instead of saying anything, Chloe reached into the center compartment and pulled out a blue bandana. She tossed it into Beca’s lap and urged her to put it on so she couldn’t see. “No peeking!” Chloe squealed in a way the brunette secretly found endearing. 

“We are not doing this again. One kidnapping was enough for me,” Beca argued halfheartedly, but when Chloe just looked over and smiled her beautiful smile at her, she shook her head and tied it over her eyes. Yes, Beca was cynical, but Chloe had worked so hard to get Beca to trust her over the last several years in college and now in LA, and had no reason to betray that, so Beca figured everything would be fine.

The rolling stop and go of the car indicated to Beca that they were finally on the streets again, filled with lights and stop signs every few hundred feet. Eventually, the car rolled to its final stop, and Beca heard the gear stick being shoved into park along with the ignition being cut, stopping her musing about why they had driven so far and why she was wearing this stupid piece of fabric. As Chloe opened the driver’s side door, Beca held her breath in waiting, but was surprised to be serenaded with the salty scent of the sea. _So that’s why we were driving south for so long…_ _But there are beaches much closer to us_ , Beca wondered. She heard the trunk being popped open and felt the car sway with things being shuffled around. Moments later, Chloe opened up the passenger side door and deftly unbuckled her girlfriend's seatbelt, gently tugging her out of the seat. 

"Alrighty, let's go!" Chloe exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Beca's slender wrists and cautiously leading her from the parking lot to the beach. Beca could hear the sound of other voices, many other voices, so it seemed like she was in a bustling place. The periodic oohs and aahs were strange, though; people were not usually so marveled at the sight of the ocean. "Okay, careful, there's sand here," Chloe said next, wrapping her arm around her shoulders to guide her through the uneven sand until they got to a spot that was relatively deserted, away from the groups who had thought the same as the redhead and desired to take a gander at the sea. 

“Stand here a sec, Becs." She quickly turned around and laid out the large multicolor towel onto the ground behind her. “Okay, sit down,” she said, taking Beca’s hand and pulling her to sit down. Beca felt Chloe pressing up behind her, her fingers dancing teasingly on Beca’s back and shoulders before moving up to the bandana still secured around her head. Chloe slid the soft fabric off her girlfriend’s head in a smooth motion and settled beside her.

“Surprise,” Chloe whispered into Beca’s ear as she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to readjust to the low light. And just as she got used to her surroundings, a bright light flashed in front of her, and it took her another second to realize that her eyes were not deceiving her. The waves were glowing-- _glowing_ \--with a blue so pure, so intense it rivaled Chloe’s eyes. Beca gasped, both uncertain that this was indeed reality and awestruck at the electric hue pulsing across the waves as they crashed. It looked exactly like lightning was being shot through every breaking wave, following the path of the typically-white foam. Suddenly, the feeling of Chloe's hand slipping into her own snapped Beca back to the present. "Do you like it, Becs?" Chloe's gentle voice inquired.

It took a concerted effort for Beca to peel her eyes off the ocean's fantastical surface and turn first her head, then her whole body towards Chloe. The brunette grabbed her other hand as if to ground herself further. A part of her still could not trust her eyes. But as she peered into Chloe's, she could see the aquamarine light reflecting off Chloe's opulent blue irises in a way that made the butterflies in her stomach dance just like the first day they met. The brunette opened her mouth, struggling to find the right words to answer with, but Beca never was good with words--instead, she leaned forward slowly to connect her lips with Chloe's in a firm, but sensuous kiss that spoke all the delicate nuance she couldn't express As she leaned back, she heard the redhead let out a light chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes," she declared with a smile, pulling the wine and accompanying glasses out. The memory of something she had read earlier lit up in Chloe’s mind, and she quickly rose to her feet, pulling the brunette up with her. "Wait, I have something to show you first.”

Chloe interlaced her fingers with the producer’s and again took the lead, this time taking her to the edge of the waves' reach, letting their ankles be tickled by the cool ocean water. "It's cold," Beca remarked, more of a statement than a complaint. But Chloe reminded her to be patient, to let it “soak in” for a moment. Beca could not fathom what that meant--until Chloe stepped out of the ocean's reach.

With each step Chloe took, the sand beneath her feet pulsed with the same electric blue as the ocean, lighting up for a brief moment before dissipating back into darkness. Once again, Beca, filled with surprise and wonder, questioned how real this was--not just the luminescence, but the fact that she was here, _here_ in the present, with her best friend and the love of her life in California. She was living a life that used to only exist in her dreams. Beca’s heart felt so full in her chest as Chloe danced around, carefree in the sand, leaving only blue in her footsteps.

Forcing herself back into the present moment and out of her head, Beca joined her girlfriend, romping around the sand, ever so impressed when her steps left the slightest hint of magic behind. _Yes, that is what this is. Magic. Disney level magic,_ she thought, imagining herself and Chloe as princesses set free to their own devices. The pair danced through the edge of the water, kicking up sand to watch its radiant effect, throwing rocks into the ocean just to hear it drop with a satisfying plunk and light up the ripples around it, and drawing pictures with their feet and laughing at the glowing trails left behind. Here and there, one of them would pull out their phone to capture candid shots of the other, saving memories for their friends and for the future.

Finally tuckered out, they returned to the blanket, cracking open the wine bottle that had been waiting for them expectantly. In relative silence, they slowly drained the bottle straight from it, ignoring the glasses while they passed the green glass between themselves. Every now and then, they shared small remarks, but they mostly remained focused on the rare dazzling light show that continued into the night. As a chill set in, Beca shivered, and Chloe draped the extra blanket over them, feeling especially happy when Beca decided to curl up against her side and join their hands together.

With her head buried in the crook of Chloe’s neck, Beca realized how late it must have gotten. They had arrived a little past nine, and surely they had been on the beach at least a couple hours by now. The brunette tipped her head up and her eyes met Chloe's. "It's getting late isn't it," she murmured, not wanting to break the enchanted spell of the moment, but also aware of the considerable drive back home. 

"Don't worry babe, I got us a room just up the road," she whispered back, kissing the top of Beca’s head and rubbing her shoulders gently in reassurance. Beca let out a satisfied hum as she nuzzled closer into Chloe, pleased that her girlfriend had gone so far to prepare for this impromptu getaway. Her heart melted as she thought about how Chloe treated her so well, cared about her so much, moreso than anyone she had ever met. Beca wished she could live in this moment forever; she knew that this was right, this feeling of intimacy filling the expanse between them, even with clothes on and conversation silenced.

_Always the worrier,_ Chloe thought, a smile spreading across her face. Beca always kept them sane, made sure their heads were on straight, acted as the rock in her life; Chloe didn’t know what she would do without her soulmate. She didn’t realize her grip on the smaller girl’s shoulders had tightened, or that Beca’s eyes were still on her, until she heard her whisper, “What’s on your pretty little mind tonight?”

Chloe’s luminescent blue eyes left the ocean and focused on Beca’s. “You. Always you.”

* * *

[here](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7692848/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2200x1414+0+0/resize/1486x955!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4e%2F0c%2F8c007ef241f894c414dae1434e59%2Fscott.jpg) is a picture of the bioluminescence on the beach!

**Author's Note:**

> this story ended up a lot longer than i had intended! it's based on the red tide/bioluminescence that actually has been going on in southern california recently. let me know what you think! thanks for reading :)


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